Eudokia used a eunuch's persuasiveness to escape from oath sworn to Konstantinos X

Summary:
When it was generally agreed that the needs of Byzantium required a strong man, not a regency ran by a woman, a palace eunuch was used to recover the signed oaths from the patriarch Xiphilinos. The latter seems to have been convinced of the need for change, and probably thought that Konstantinos X's arrangements were inspired by personal jealousy. In some sources Romanos (IV) joined Eudokia in hatching the plan. Most sources claim that Bardas, Xiphilinos' brother (or nephew) was involved. He was a libertine who was falsely claimed to be Eudokia's choice for the throne. When convinced of this, Xiphilinos consulted individual senators, who were persuaded or bribed to agree. He sent the oaths to the empress, who destroyed them, then prepared for marriage to Romanos 
Dates:
1067 
palace eunuch in 1067 (Anonymus 105)
  • Informed by Romanos 4 of his plan to persuade the patriarch (Ioannes 18) to allow Eudokia 1 to marry again, he promised to assist the empress fulfil her goal in every possible way, and went to talk to the patriarch (:) Skylitzes Continuatus 123.6-11
  • Announced secretly to the patriarch (Ioannes 18) that the empress (Eudokia 1) would like to take a husband, suggesting the patriarch's own brother Bardas 101 as a candidate and future emperor (:) Skylitzes Continuatus 123.11-15
  • Approached the patriarch (Ioannes 18) in secret and suggested that if the document (forbidding Eudokia 1 to marry again) could be discarded then the patriarch's brother (Bardas 101) could marry the empress and thus become emperor (:) εἴγε οἰκονομία τις γένηται περὶ τοῦ ἐγγράφου Glykas 608.2-5
  • Added, "If you (Ioannes 18) consent to return to the empress (Eudokia 1) the manuscript of the oath and persuade her that no danger hangs over her from this, she will immediately marry your nephew (Bardas 101) and the imperial power will attend him" (:) Zonaras 18.10.22
  • Eudokia 1 prepared a wicked and yet profoundly wise plan concerning this [her written oath] and shared it with him (:) Zonaras 18.10.21
  • Eudokia 1 used him as it were as procurer, giving instructions how much and what he should communicate to the patriarch (Ioannes 18) (:) Zonaras 18.10.21
  • Coming to the arch-priest (Ioannes 18) he said, "Know, master, that the empress (Eudokia 1) loves your nephew (Bardas 101)" (for Ioannes 18 had a nephew Bardas 101, young, vigorous and mastered by sexual pleasures) (:) Zonaras 18.10.22
Bardas, brother (?) of patriarch Ioannes VIII Xiphilinos (Bardas 101)
  • Coming to him the arch-priest (Ioannes 18) Anonymus 105 said, "Know, master, that the empress (Eudokia 1) loves your nephew (Bardas 101)" (:) Zonaras 18.10.22
  • Anonymus 105 added to Ioannes 18 "If you consent to return to Eudokia 1 the manuscript of the oath and persuade her that no danger hangs over her from this, she will immediately marry your nephew (Bardas 101) and the imperial power will attend on him" (:) Zonaras 18.10.22
Empress Eudokia Makrembolitissa (Eudokia 1)
  • The patriarch (Ioannes 18) having been tricked to consent to her re-marrying following the proposal of his brother as a candidate (Bardas 101), and the senate persuaded of this need by the patriarch, she got married to Romanos 4 (:) Skylitzes Continuatus 123.11-124.1
  • Prepared a wicked and yet profoundly wise plan concerning this [her written oath] and shared it with a certain one of the eunuchs in her entourage (Anonymus 105) (:) Zonaras 18.10.21
  • Used the servant (Anonymus 105) as it were as procurer, giving instructions how much and what he should communicate to the patriarch (Ioannes 18) (:) Zonaras 18.10. 21
  • Ioannes 18, having the majority [of the senators] in agreement with him, after persuading any who spoke against to vote with him, some by gifts, others by promises, he sent to the empress (Eudokia 1) the manuscript of the oaths (:) Zonaras 18.10.26
  • Was restrained because of the oaths and the surety which was in the patriarch (Ioannes 18)’s safe-keeping, and it was a matter of concern to her how she might rescind this (:) Zonaras 18.10.20
  • Ioannes 18 said "If these things continue to be administered by a woman alone (Eudokia 1) and children, assuredly before long it will be all up for the Roman hegemony, not only affairs far away neighbouring on the enemy, but those on the doorstep too" (:) Zonaras 18.10.24
  • Anonymus 105 added to Ioannes 18 "If you consent to return to Eudokia 1 the manuscript of the oath and persuade her that no danger hangs over her from this, she will immediately marry your nephew (Bardas 101) and the imperial power will attend on him" (:) Zonaras 18.10.22
  • Coming to him the arch-priest (Ioannes 18) Anonymus 105 said, "Know, master, that the empress (Eudokia 1) loves your nephew (Bardas 101)" (for he had a nephew Bardas 101, young, vigorous and mastered by sexual pleasures) (:) Zonaras 18.10.22
  • On receiving the document she brought her wish to fulfilment, took (Romanos 4) Diogenes for herself and married him (:) Zonaras 18.10.27
Ioannes VIII Xiphilinos, patriarch of Constantinople (Ioannes 18)
  • Persuaded the members of the senate of the need for the empress (Eudokia 1) to re-marry, using flattery with some and bribes with others (:) Skylitzes Continuatus 123.23-25
  • Was told secretly by a palace eunuch (Anonymus 105) of the empress's wish to take a husband, his own brother (Bardas 101) being suggested as a candidate and future emperor, and consented despite the signed oath never to sanction her re-marrying (:) Skylitzes Continuatus 123.11-17
  • Summoned one by one the members of the senate in order to explain the necessity for the empress (Eudokia 1) to re-marry, brandishing the signed oath (banning her from re-marrying) as unlawful, disadvantageous, and a result of a husband's jealousy (:) Skylitzes Continuatus 123.17-24
  • Was approached in secret by the eunuch (Anonymus 105) who suggested that if the document (forbidding Eudokia 1 to marry again) could be discarded then his brother (Bardas 101) could marry the empress and thus become emperor, and was persuaded (:) εἴγε οἰκονομία τις γένηται περὶ τοῦ ἐγγράφου Glykas 608.2-5
  • Summoned one by one and persuaded the members of the senate that the document (forbidding Eudokia 101 to remarry) was unlawful and that she should remarry in order to restore the empire which would otherwise be harmed because of a husband's jealousy (:) διὰ ζῆλον ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς τὰ Ῥωμαίων οὐ χρῆ καταβλάπτεσθαι Glykas 608.5-11
  • Summoning each of the senators he said that affairs required an emperor to take them in hand (:) Zonaras 18.10.24
  • Anonymus 105 added to him, "If you consent to return to Eudokia 1 the manuscript of the oath and persuade her that no danger hangs over her from this, she will immediately marry your nephew (Bardas 101) and the imperial power will attend on him" (:) Zonaras 18.10.22
  • Having the majority [of the senators] in agreement with him, after persuading any who spoke against to vote with him, some by gifts, others by promises, he sent to the empress (Eudokia 1) the manuscript of the oaths (:) Zonaras 18.10.26
  • Coming to him Anonymus 105 said, "Know, master, that the empress (Eudokia 1) loves your nephew (Bardas 101)" (for he had a nephew Bardas 101, young, vigorous and mastered by sexual pleasures) (:) Zonaras 18.10.22
  • In addition he made a great attack on the oaths and the document and abused the dead emperor (Konstantinos 10) on the grounds that he did not make provision for the common benefit, but demanded unlawful oaths and illegal documents out of jealousy (:) Zonaras 18.10.25
  • Eudokia 1 gave Anonymus 105 instructions how much and what he should communicate to the patriarch (Ioannes 18) (:) Zonaras 18.10.21
  • As he was beguiled by this (Anonymus 105's proposal) he surrendered himself completely and asked to make trial of the members of the senatorial council (:) Zonaras 18.10.23
  • Eudokia 1 was restrained because of the oaths and the surety which was in his safe-keeping, and it was a matter of concern to her how she might rescind this (:) Zonaras 18.10.20
Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes (Romanos 4)
  • Wishing to drive away the barbarians and aware that he should take a wife, he decided to cunningly beguile the patriarch (Ioannes 18, who had signed an oath never to let Eudokia 1 re-marry) and thus allow the empress to fulfil her goal (to marry) (:) Skylitzes Continuatus 123.3-6
  • Informed a capable palace eunuch (Anonymus 105) of his plan to persuade the patriarch (Ioannes 18) to allow Eudokia 1 to re-marry and the eunuch suggested to the patriarch his own brother (Bardas 101) as a candidate, thus making the latter emperor (:) Skylitzes Continuatus 123.6-15